Skyliners Junior Crowned National Champions

The Junior and Senior lines of the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team are in the midst of their best season ever. The Junior line skaters were just crowned the National Champions at the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Portland, Oregon. The Senior line skaters earned Silver – their highest finish ever – at the Championships. Both lines were chosen to represent Team USA this season, capturing Gold and Silver medals at four international competitions including the Cup of Berlin, the French Cup and the Mozart Cup. And both lines have just been chosen to represent the United States at the World Championships. For Skyliners Junior, their eighth appearance at Worlds will be in Zagreb, Croatia on March 16-17, 2018. And for Skyliners Senior, their first World Championship appearance ever will be in Stockholm, Sweden on April 6-7, 2018.

“To have both our Junior and Senior lines named to represent the United States at Worlds is an incredible achievement and honor for our organization,” said Josh Babb, Skyliners Head Coach and Director of Synchronized Skating. “The skaters have taken command of the ice at every competition this season, and their confident performances paid off.”

The Junior line’s emotional short program - set to “You and I” by the Tenors - and their dramatic “Black Swan” long program have enthralled audiences and launched them to new levels this season. They have earned historically high total scores for the line, at both the Cup of Berlin in Germany (165.73) where they won Gold, and the French Cup in Rouen (164.59) where they won Silver. Based on these great results, the United States Figure Skating Association selected Skyliners Junior as one of the two teams to represent the United States at the 2018 World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships in Croatia. Their high score of 175.69 at Nationals to take the Gold was the icing on the cake, and their fourth National Championship title. NJ skaters on Skyliners Junior include Virginia Barney, Jessica Hu, Audrey Laude, Ethne Laude and Jocelyn Song of Short Hills; Lauren Dwyer of Essex Fells; Michaela Kaminski of Whippany; and Shirley Zhu of Liviningston.

Skyliners Senior has had a stellar 2017-18 season. Their “I Was Here” short program and “Cleopatra” long program showcase the skaters’ athleticism, power and grace. The judges rewarded their efforts with high total scores on the international stage, at both the Cup of Berlin (180.74) where they won Gold, and the Mozart Cup in Salzburg, Austria (179.92) where they took Silver. Their Silver medal finish at Nationals, with a season high score of 185.86, helped earn them one of the two spots to represent the United States at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships 2018 in Sweden this April, a historic milestone for Skyliners Senior. Emily Kirillov of Fair Lawn, NJ, skates for Skyliners Senior.

Team USA is defined as those synchronized skating teams who are selected by the Synchronized Management Subcommittee to represent the United States at ISU events including International Synchronized Skating Competitions, the World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships, and the World Synchronized Skating Championships.

The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team was established in 2001 by a group of parents who wanted to create the most competitive synchronized skating club in the tri-state area. In that first year, the team had three lines. Over the last 17 years, Skyliners has grown into one of the top synchronized skating teams in the country - now with 12 competitive lines, and 220+ skaters ranging in age from 5 to 24. While the majority of the skaters reside in the tri-state area, Skyliners also draws members from Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The tremendous growth and success of the team are attributed to the dedicated athletes, talented coaches and devoted Board members and parent volunteers who make Skyliners possible season after season.

Synchronized skating consists of 8-20 highly-skilled athletes performing a program on ice together, moving as one flowing unit. It is characterized by teamwork, speed, intricate formations and challenging step sequences. There are approximately 600 synchronized teams and nearly 5000 synchronized skaters in the U.S. alone, with elite competitions at both the national and international level. Although not currently an Olympic sport, there is significant movement toward including it at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Visit the Skyliners at www.skylinerssynchro.com to learn more about this successful team.